Parts in a Play

A poem I wrote for a school assignment. Please help me edit it!

Once I sat at my computer

and waited for a guy to message me first.

Once a guy called me a s**t

because my pants were too short.

Once a guy called me “b***h”

because I spoke my mind.

In a society that prides itself so much

on diversity, acceptance, and freedom,

how can some members of a society

feel so chained, locked up behind bars?

What happened to freedom of expression and opinions?

All men are created equal.

Gender roles in our society

are like parts in a play,

feeling forced to speak certain lines,

                 Zellers 2

to stay in character.

Don’t let them know you are anyone else

than the character society wants you to be.

Even though we claim to be diverse and accepting,

how can a country be accepting

when women earn 77 cents to every dollar a man makes?

When only 18% of engineering students are women?

When out of every president that has run this nation,

We have never had a woman in office.

How can we call ourselves we are equal

when half of the population

is subjected to this.

Once, I messaged a guy first.

Once, I wore the pants I wanted, and I didn’t care how short they were.

Once, I spoke my mind and I didn’t care what anyone else called me because of it.

Author's Note

please help me edit this!